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Fight That Ghost
''Fight That Ghost'' is a 1946 feature horror comedy film. It is considered one of the earliest horror films with an all Black cast. It was directed by Sam Newfield. It was a Toddy Pictures Company release. Bill Dillard portrayed Jim Brown in the film. The film includes the songs "Take me" by Porter Grainger as well as "Hard Luck Blues" and "A Brown Skin Gal is the Best Gal After All" by John Murray. It was one of several films Newfield directed for Toddy including ''Harlem on the Prairie'', ''Mantan Messes Up'', and '' House-Rent Party''. Photo stills for the film exist. Cast * Pigmeat "Alamo" Markham as Pigmeat arkham* John "Rastus" Murray as Shorty *Percy Verwayne as Moneybags Jim * David Bethea as Mr. Cook * Alberta Pryne as Sweet Sue *Bill Dillard William Dillard (July 20, 1911 – January 16, 1995) was an American jazz trumpeter, actor, and singer. Background Dillard was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played in bands led by Jelly Roll Morton, Benny Carter, L ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sam Newfield
Sam Newfield, born Samuel Neufeld, (December 6, 1899 - November 10, 1964), also known as Sherman Scott or Peter Stewart, was an American B-movie Film director, director, one of the most prolific in American film history—he is credited with directing over 250 feature films in a career which began during the silent era and ended in 1958. In addition to his staggering feature output, he also directed one -and two-reel comedy Short film, shorts, training films, industrial films, TV episodes and pretty much anything anyone would pay him for. Because of this massive output—he would sometimes direct more than 20 films in a single year—he has been called the most prolific director of the sound era. Many of Newfield's films were made for Producers Releasing Corporation, PRC Pictures. This was a film production company headed by his brother Sigmund Neufeld. The films PRC produced were low-budget productions, the majority being Western (genre), westerns, with an occasional horror fil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pigmeat Markham
Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham (April 18, 1904 – December 13, 1981) was an American entertainer. Though best known as a comedian, Markham was also a singer, dancer, and actor. His nickname came from a stage routine, in which he declared himself to be "Sweet Poppa Pigmeat". He was sometimes credited in films as Pigmeat "Alamo" Markham. Early life and career He was born in the community of Hayti, Durham, North Carolina. His family was the most prominent on their street, which came to be called (and later officially named) Markham Street in the Hayti District. Markham began his career in traveling music and burlesque shows. For a time he was a member of Bessie Smith's Traveling Revue in the 1920s. Later, he claimed he originated the ''Truckin' ''dance which became nationally popular at the start of the 1930s. In the 1940s he started making film appearances. In 1946 he recorded "Open the Door, Richard". Markham was a familiar act at New York's famed Apollo Theater where he wore blackfa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Percy Verwayne
Percy Verwayne (March 10, 1895 – November, 1968), sometimes spelled Percy Verwayen, was an American stage and film actor. He featured in several films with African American casts including the 1921 REOL Productions film '' The Simp'' and Oscar Micheaux films. He played "Sporting Life" in Porgy, when it was first produced in 1927. He was also in the 1946 Toddy Pictures production '' Fight That Ghost''. He was born in British Guyana. Theatre *'' Porgy'' (1927) *''Confidence'' (1930), by and starring Frank Wilson Filmography *''The Simp'' (1921) *''A Daughter of the Congo'' (1930) as Pidgy Muffy *''Paradise in Harlem'' (1939) as Spanish *'' Fight that Ghost'' (1946) *''Sepia Cinderella ''Sepia Cinderella'' is a 1947 American musical race film directed by Arthur H. Leonard. The film is notable for musical numbers by vocalists Billy Daniels and Sheila Guyse, and for a brief guest appearance by former child star Freddie Bartholo ...'' (1947) as MacMillan References ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Toddy Pictures Company
Toddy Pictures Company was a film distribution and production company. It was founded by in 1941 by Ted Toddy (1900-1983) in a consolidation of his film businesses under the new name. The film company specialized in African-American films. Toddy was born in Russia. He worked for more than a decade at major studios before establishing Dixie National Pictures in Atlanta. He was involved in efforts to distribute the 1936 film ''Polygamy'' which ran into censorship hurdles and Joseph Breen. He added Million Dollar Productions to his business in 1940. Toddy re-released Million Dollar Productions films with new titles and marketing. Toddy marketed light comedies with outdoor scenes and plenty of musical performances to Black audiences. Filmography *''Harlem on the Prairie (1937), distributor of a Sack Amusements film *'' Polygamy (film)'' (1939), distributor for the Unusual Pictures film *''Up Jumped the Devil'' (1940), a Dixie National Pictures production *'' Prison Bait'' (1940), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Dillard
William Dillard (July 20, 1911 – January 16, 1995) was an American jazz trumpeter, actor, and singer. Background Dillard was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and played in bands led by Jelly Roll Morton, Benny Carter, Luis Russell and Teddy Hill, among others. He also had an acting career on Broadway, including in '' One Mo' Time''. Discography With Dizzy Gillespie *''The Complete RCA Victor Recordings'' (Bluebird, 1937–1949, 995 With Earle Warren Earle Warren (born Earl Ronald Warren; July 1, 1914 – June 4, 1994) was an American saxophonist. He was part of the Count Basie Orchestra from 1937. Early life Warren was born in Springfield, Ohio, on July 1, 1914. "He played piano, banjo, an ... *''Earle Warren'' (RCA, 1974) Filmography Film Television References External links * American jazz trumpeters American male trumpeters American jazz singers Swing trumpeters 1911 births 1995 deaths 20th-century American male actors 20th-century Americ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Porter Grainger
Porter Grainger ( Granger; October 22, 1891 − October 30, 1948) was an American pianist, songwriter, playwright, and music publisher. Biography When Grainger was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the Granger family name did not include an "i". Although the exact date at which Grainger changed his name is unknown, he registered for the World War I draft by signing his name "Grainger". At that time, he was living in Chicago, and by 1916, he had begun his professional career. In the spring of 1920 he left Chicago for New York City, and by 1924, he was living in Harlem. Working with another pianist and composer Bob Ricketts, in 1926, Grainger wrote and published the book ''How to Play and Sing the Blues Like the Phonograph and Stage Artists''. Though he would never really be known as an exceptional soloist in his own right, Grainger thrived as an accompanist, working with singers such as Fannie May Goosby, Viola McCoy, Clara Smith, and Victoria Spivey. From 1924 to 1928, he wor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Harlem On The Prairie
''Harlem on the Prairie'' (1937) is a race movie, billed as the first " all-colored" Western musical. The movie reminded audiences that there were black cowboys and corrected a popular Hollywood image of an all-white Old West. It was produced by Associated Features, which was organized in 1937. The picture premiered at the Paramount Theatre in Los Angeles and was first shown in New York City at the Rialto Theatre on Broadway. The company had offices at 937 N. Sycamore Ave., Hollywood, California, and the officers of the company were Jed Buell, president; Bert Sternbach, vice president; and Sabin W. Carr, secretary-treasurer. ''Harlem on the Prairie'' was filmed on location at the Walker Ranch in Newhall, California, and the Iverson Ranch, Chatsworth, California. President and chief producer Jed Buell spent less than $50,000 on this picture. Plot summary Doc Clayburn returns with his medicine show and young daughter Carolina to the country where 20 years before he had been ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mantan Messes Up
Mantan Messes Up is a film produced in 1946 in the United States. It stars Mantan Moreland. Sam Newfield directed. The film was produced by Lucky Star Production Company. It was advertised as having an "All Colored Cast". The Museum of the Moving Image has a still from the film. Appearances in the film by Lena Horne and Nina Mae McKinney may have been clipped from am earlier film released by Toddy Pictures. Cast *Mantan Moreland as Office boy *Monte Hawley as Office manager, Mr. Hawley * Jo Rhetta as Secretary * Doryce Bradley as Dancer * Lola Carrington as Wife * Raymond Harris *Lena Horne * Eddie Green *Buck and Bubbles *Nina Mae McKinney *Red Caps *Neva Peoples * Bo Jinkins *Four Tones This article summarizes the phonology (the sound system, or in more general terms, the pronunciation) of Standard Chinese (Standard Mandarin). Standard Chinese phonology is based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin. Actual production varies wid ... References 1946 films Films directed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pigmeat "Alamo" Markham
Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham (April 18, 1904 – December 13, 1981) was an American entertainer. Though best known as a comedian, Markham was also a singer, dancer, and actor. His nickname came from a stage routine, in which he declared himself to be "Sweet Poppa Pigmeat". He was sometimes credited in films as Pigmeat "Alamo" Markham. Early life and career He was born in the community of Hayti, Durham, North Carolina. His family was the most prominent on their street, which came to be called (and later officially named) Markham Street in the Hayti District. Markham began his career in traveling music and burlesque shows. For a time he was a member of Bessie Smith's Traveling Revue in the 1920s. Later, he claimed he originated the ''Truckin' ''dance which became nationally popular at the start of the 1930s. In the 1940s he started making film appearances. In 1946 he recorded "Open the Door, Richard". Markham was a familiar act at New York's famed Apollo Theater where he wore blackfa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
